Honor Irondale’s 35th Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 5311 BY: Senator MONTGOMERY COMMEMORATING the 35th Anniversary of Irondale to be celebrated on May 10, 2018 WHEREAS, The arts, in whatever form, are central to human expression; they are truly a universal language and their contribution to the development of friendship and understanding among all peoples cannot be underestimated; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend those artistic organizations which have brought outstanding entertainment and cultural enrichment to the citizens of the great State of New York; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Irondale to be celebrated with a Gala on Thursday, May 10, 2018, at the Norwood Club, New York, New York; and WHEREAS, Irondale is a theatre company that brings together artists who collaborate over long periods of time, who speak a common performance language, and who believe that theatre can educate as well as entertain; and WHEREAS, After working together for six years at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, Barbara Mackenzie-Wood, Jim Niesen and Terry Greiss decided to create the kind of theatre that could only come from the work of a true ensemble; and WHEREAS, Established in 1983, Irondale began as a theatre company long before there was a theatre space; from its earliest days, education, engagement and outreach became its central mission, and the group found audiences in public schools, prisons and shelters; and WHEREAS, From about 1984 until 1999, the group focused on improvisation and its application to text, both classical and contemporary, with the goal of bringing a strong sense of improvisational aliveness to scripted performances; and WHEREAS, During this time, Shakespeare, Chekhov and Brecht were performed regularly, on and off text; and WHEREAS, Today, having performed 60 productions, the company's work ranges from precise, accurate versions of classics to radical reinterpretations of the same; much of what is done today is still strongly influenced by the devising processes of the first years; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, this extraordinary ensemble has taught thousands of workshops from Staten Island to Cape Town, and their work has been seen from the Lower East Side to the former Soviet Union; and WHEREAS, The physical Irondale Theatre was developed from an abandoned 152-year-old church in 2008, giving the company the ability to present not only its own work, but the work of other companies they admire; and WHEREAS, A vibrant arts community encourages collaboration, instills local pride, draws people together, and is essential to a community's vitality; over the past 35 years, Irondale has contributed to the richness of Brooklyn, New York's cultural palette; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when artistic societies of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Irondale to be celebrated on May 10,